1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high grade fur-like synthetic material having superior hand feel, good appearance, voluminous touch and a silky luster. This invention further relates to a process of manufacturing a fur-like sheet material of superior quality and having overall characteristics surpassing in many ways even those of natural mink and chinchilla.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many efforts have been made, for the purpose of providing synthetic furs of high grade, to imitate the structures and characteristics of high-grade natural furs. Although natural furs are commonly regarded as being composed of guard hair fibers and under-fur fibers, the tendency of prior efforts has been to direct primary attention to the guard hair fibers, and particularly to the fact that such fibers have thin and pointed tips, while being rather thick at middle portions thereof.
In some of the more advanced attempts particular notice has been taken of the fact that the root portions of the guard hair fibers are finer than the middle portions to a certain extent. It is very difficult, however, to produce fibers of the type described. While fiber products close to perfection have been proposed and worked on through extremely numerous trials, satisfactory results have not been obtained. Research has also been conducted on how to process these fibers into fabrics or into sheet-like forms, or how to process the same into fur-like forms by closely raising the fibers.
As far as the present inventors are aware, the resulting products are still far from high grade furs. They do not exhibit the superior appearance that is characteristic of fine furs, or the splendid and comfortable touch possessed by mink or chinchilla, and do not exhibit the highly desirable "air marks" or "air vibration" effects when subjected to the influence of streams of moving air. They have also been lacking as to feel. In general, and in summary, none is capable of satisfying the need which the present invention has now filled.
The "air mark" effect is a phenomenon that, when an air stream is directed against the pile fibers, as by blowing through the mouth, for example, traces of the air stream remain as deformations in the orientation of the fibers on the fur. Of course, such traces may be readily erased by smoothing down by hand.
The "air mark" phenomenon corresponds to the terms "chalk mark", "finger mark" or "writing effect" representing the phenomenon in which a trace formed by a finger tip behaves similarly and remains in such form that it can be observed.
The "air vibration" effect is a phenomenon whereby, when an air stream is directed against one point of the pile fibers the pile fibers spread in all directions and flutter or vibrate. The air mark effect and the air vibration effect are hardly noticeable upon testing conventional synthetic suede, velvet weaves commercially available, artificial furs, etc., although they are noticeable in natural chinchilla furs, natural nutria furs, etc.
Pile sheet materials having pile fibers composed of superfine fibers or filaments have heretofore been proposed by one of the present inventors, for example, in British Pat. No. 1,300,268. Excellent synthetic suede and other products can be made provided the fibers or filaments are short enough. However, upon actual production of pile sheet materials having pile fibers which are longer than four millimeters, in the manner disclosed in the British Patent, the product tends to acquire a rather squamous or scale-like appearance because of collection or gathering of bundles of pile fibers in use. Moreover, although the longer pile fibers have a puffy or warm feeling, the resulting product does not have a totally luxurious appearance, and does not provide the unique dim luster that is so desirable in furs. It is far short of being fully perfect for making synthetic-furs, even from the viewpoint of ease of raising the pile fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,006 discloses a pile article having crimped pile fibers which are thicker than those of the present invention. The pile fibers are mutually bound by a binder and are thus divided into isolated groups. Each fiber in the group has a crimped or wavy configuration, but the crimps of the pile fibers are randomly disposed and are so adhered by the binder as to form a random network. Accordingly, it is extremely difficult to achieve a very soft hand feel, in spite of the comparatively easy raising of the pile fibers. Thus, it is not possible to achieve a truly fur-like fabric having superior characteristics and properties such as the heretofore mentioned "air mark" and "air vibration" effects, as well as other remarkable effects achieved by the present invention.